a journal of discovery, conviction, and walking with the poor and orphaned of Rwanda

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Take photos at all times, and whenever necessary, use words

If a picture is worth a thousand, then here is a short novel. Click on any image to enlarge.

The very best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago; the second best time is today. (African Proverb)

Her name is Emerthe (I think). She came up to my Rwandese friend and me, and in the sweetest and softest voice you can imagine (and which I could hardly hear), she asked my friend in Kinyarwanda: Is he my Compassion [International] father? Can you imagine how sorry I was when my friend had to tell her: "No, he is not." Does anyone remember Jack Nicholson coming apart at the end of "About Schmidt"? Africa is full of pain, disappointment, and loss. It is sometimes very difficult to bear. It is wrong to think that "Africans must be used to it".

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Not About Me

I am reluctant to do the Bio thing. Nothing "about me" should be the focus here, except as this open journal may resonate with (or provoke) your own thoughts. But I offer this much: After 30 years as an attorney, I am now a typical Halftimer who is determined to move beyond success to significance. Inspired and convicted by three sons (Tommy, Nathan & Wesley) who live passionate and adventurous lives, I am now privileged to participate in the exciting social changes and development occurring in Rwanda and elsewhere in Africa, hoping to empower the desperately poor. But I must be very clear on this: I am just your average coward. Suffering and sacrifice are very foreign concepts to me. However, I now believe that life comfortably ensconced in a safe cocoon misses out on too much of what might be learned, experienced, and shared with others in the Majority World, many of whom are crying out in desperate need, and some of whom beam with smiles and contentment such as I have seldom seen. I want to know them and their lives.